Unwritten
by ABundridge
Summary: Rukia has a fated meeting with a certain carrot-top. Will love blossom or will their differences keep them apart? Their future's left unwritten.


I have been listening to this song since it came out and after reading some Ichi/Ruki lately, it dawned on me to write a story about them revolving around this song: **_Call Me Maybe_**** by Carly Rae Jensen**. The first half of the story is told mostly from Rukia's perspective and some in third person and then it will switch to Ichigo.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Ichigo Kurosaki – 23 yrs-old, senior at Karakura University studying Martial Arts and Shakespeare Theatre

Rukia Kuchiki – 21 yrs-old, senior at Karakura Junior College studying Arts and Ancient Literature

– thinking –

_"__speaking"_

* * *

She felt somewhat stupid…well really the more she thought about it the more stupid she felt. Yet, it had to have sounded good at some point, right? In fact, she had been just as excited about doing this as all the other girls in her Ancient Myths class earlier that day.

The class had been assigned a project in which they had to present information about a myth revolving around an object or place somewhere in their area of Karakura. Next they debated how probable each myth was and what had occurred to start it. Rangiku had found out about an old well that was located on a shrine near her home. She had said that according to the information she received from the shrine maiden, that calling out the name of one of the Seven Lucky Gods who blessed the well, then making a wish would make it come true.

Rukia had stressed about finals since Midterm and Momo had suggested that everyone go make a wish on the well for good finals, since tonight was the right phase of the moon for success. Everyone in the class had thought it was a great idea and they had all decided to meet later in the evening to go by and make a wish. Rangiku had been the only one to show up at the spot they decided to gather at and she told Rukia that everyone else would meet them at the shrine later. After arriving at the shrine, Rangiku had then run off with her boyfriend Gin when he showed up, leaving poor Rukia there alone to do it by herself.

The shrine was beautiful with kasuga-zukuri style buildings made of stunning Sequoioideae and jade that looked well maintained with large sakura trees scattered throughout. Rukia walked down the sandō*, passing the tōrō* that decorated the sides of the walkway. There was a samusho* with a shop that sold religious trinkets located across from the ema*. A haiden* for praying was located at the end of the sandō with a large honden* located directly behind the haiden. There were smaller sessha* on the grounds as well. The well was located off in a corner next to a large sakura tree in full bloom. The well itself was made of charming gray marble that stood just above Rukia's waist, with a small roof that looked old and worn compared to the other buildings. Rukia watched as sakura petals floated to the ground around her before she walked up to the well and looked over into it. It didn't seem to be anything special but most things that had myths revolving around them didn't, in her opinion.

It was late and Rukia found her way to the well using the dim light casted off the nearby lanterns and the streams of moonlight of the evening's full moon. The sky was void of clouds and slowly stars burst forth in the midnight sky in an array of illumination. For a moment, Rukia considered turning around and just going home but surprisingly she decided that it couldn't hurt anything if she did make a wish; so she looked around to make sure no one was watching and proceeded to make her wish as Rangiku had instructed. The directions were to throw a coin in the air and make a wish before it hits the water and the bigger the coin, the better the chance you have at getting your wish. Rukia went over her wish one last time before tossing the coin into the air and as she looked down; _he_ stepped into her line of vision.

**_I threw a wish in the well,  
Don't ask me, I'll never tell  
I looked to you as it fell,  
And now you're in my way_**

**_I'd trade my soul for a wish,  
Pennies and dimes for a kiss  
I wasn't looking for this,  
But now you're in my way_**

As she closed azure eyes and began her wish, _his_ face appeared in her mind's eye and a slight blush graced ivory cheeks. Quickly, Rukia became irritated at her lack of control and inability to concentrate on something so simple. She tried to focus on what she wanted but again thoughts of _him_ plagued her mind. At that moment, she heard a "_plop"_ from the sound of the coin hitting the water…she had gotten to – I wish – and all other thought was consumed by _him_.

As she opened her eyes, _he _was standing a short distance away, leaned up against a wall staring at her between sips of water from a bottle he was holding. Or maybe he was glaring; she wasn't sure because of the scowl on his face. His eyebrows were drawn up over dark amber eyes, under a messy shock of ginger hair that whipped in the warm breeze. Rukia couldn't remember if she had ever seen hair that bright before, as it had a slight glow in the early moonlight. She caught a scent on the wind of the forest after a spring rain and musky vanilla. It was distinctly masculine but it was pleasant to her senses and she figured it must belong to the male that was a short distance away. He looked to be about the same age as her, maybe a year or two older and was wearing a dirty white t-shirt and some jeans with rips in the knees with the bottoms ragged from use covering up work boots.

**_Your stare was holdin',_**  
**_Ripped jeans, skin was showin'  
Hot night, wind was blowin'  
Where you think you're going, baby?_**

At that point, _he_ stood up from the wall and turned to walk away. Suddenly, something came over Rukia and she found herself running up to him. She grabbed his arm, floundering momentarily with what to say and finally a soft _"Hey"_, came out of her lips. He turned around at her statement and Rukia found herself pulled into his amber gaze. She couldn't understand why she couldn't look away and pondered on what he must be thinking of the situation as well. As she was contemplating the exact color of _his _eyes, a low voice brought her out of her musings, _"Hey, you alright?"_ His statement clearing the fog in her brain and with a startled expression clearly on her face, Rukia came back from her earlier musings.

**_It's hard to look right,  
At you baby,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe? _**

Suddenly, _his_ phone went off in his pocket and he looked at it to see who was calling. Rukia wondered who had called; waited patiently for him to speak and held her breath when he looked down at her. _"Sorry, but I gotta go. It's late and I've got class in the morning"_, the smooth timber of his voice wrapping around her senses. _"Oh right, I've got classes tomorrow too. I'm so sorry; I don't know what came over me." _Brought back to her senses, Rukia released his arm and watched as he gave a small nod with a slight smirk on his face before he walked away.

After _he _had rounded the corner out of Rukia's eyesight she slowly blinked, realizing that she had been staring at him as he walked away. Just then she turned to walk back to her apartment and her foot collided with something. When she looked down, she noticed a toolbox that he had sat down when he had walked over there earlier. A spark of mischief and bravery shot through Rukia as she decided to do something extremely impulsive for a Kuchiki. She found a notepad in her bag and wrote:

_To the orange-haired boy at the well,____

_Hey, I just met you and this is crazy,__

_but here's my number, so call me…maybe?_

_From the dark-haired girl at the well.____

Then she scribbled her number at the bottom and stuck the card in the toolbox where she knew he would see it, she thought – how sad is this that I don't even know his name –? As she walked home, Rukia felt a bit happier than she had in a long time, a small smile coming to her lips.

* * *

**_And all the other boys,  
Try to chase me,  
But here's my number,  
So call me, maybe?_**

To say that Rukia was popular with the boys would be an understatement. As a Kuchiki, a reputation had preceded her into college and most of the male population tried for her attention as a way of creating ties between their family and the honored Kuchiki clan. Thankfully, Rukia was still attending Karakura Junior College, so her classes were primarily female. She only had to deal with upperclassmen from Karakura University at the quarterly formals marking the change of seasons and semesters.

* * *

**_You took your time with the call,  
I took no time with the fall  
You gave me nothing at all,  
But still, you're in my way_**

Ichigo looked down at the number scrawled across the paper he held in his hand. He had debated about whether to call the strange girl or tack it up to 'things that happen when you're out too late'. He thought back to that day, almost a week ago, and to the strange girl Rukia. She had dark raven hair that ended at her shoulders with a slip of bangs that fell between large azure eyes nestled in an ivory face. That girl had been wearing her uniform, which let Ichigo know which college she attended and after talking with his friend Tatsuki he found out that her name was Rukia. It consisted of a white short-sleeved blouse, peacock-colored, pleated skirt with a matching vest that contained the schools crest on the left breast. He wasn't sure why he hadn't yelled at her when she ran up and grabbed him. When he turned around to look at her, his voice failed him and he was suddenly lost in her large eyes.

After talking to his friend Tatsuki, who attended the same college as Rukia, he decided that he would give her a call. Tatsuki had told him that she never saw Rukia with a guy, and he was curious as to why this girl Rukia decided slip her number to him without knowing his name.

Ichigo dialed her number and waited as it rang a few times before going to voice mail. First, he felt annoyed that she had given him her number and then not answered. After that he decided that she didn't know his number and probably thought it was a wrong number. So, he dialed the number again and waited for the voice mail to go through and left her a message_…"Hey, Rukia. This is Ichigo from the other day at the well. _–Wow that sounds so dumb–_ Anyway, I thought that maybe we could go out this weekend? Give me a call back if you're busy; otherwise, I will see you Friday around 7 at the Kamui Shrine."_

* * *

**_I beg, and borrow and steal  
Have foresight and it's real  
I didn't know I would feel it,  
But it's in my way _**

She had been in class when Ichigo called. Rukia had pondered the irony between his name and his bright hair color and how did he find out her name? Doing everything she could to be able to make the date Friday, though she wasn't sure why she was trying so hard or why every time someone asked about Friday, Rukia found herself blushing and making up excuses. She begged her friend Renji to cover her shift tutoring that night. Momo had insisted that she borrow a cute summer dress of hers for the evening, the violet color accented the matching flecks in her eyes. Rukia spent all afternoon stealing glances at the clock during class in anticipation for when she could leave and get ready.

Rangiku, who happened to be Ichigo's cousin, had told Rukia that she knew they would have a great time. That she had seen it in a dream and her dreams were never wrong. Rukia had a sneaking suspicion that her friends had set her up, yet she pondered if Ichigo was aware of it also. Deciding that the success of the date would determine her 'friends' fates, she began the short walk to Kamui Shrine.

* * *

**_Before you came into my life  
I missed you so bad  
And you should know that  
I missed you so, so bad _**

Rukia arrived ten minutes early, surprised to find Ichigo was there waiting for her. She observed him for a minute, wanting to know a little more about him before walking over. Rukia had to admit that Ichigo cleaned up pretty nicely. He wore a white t-shirt under a deep violet, short-sleeved dress shirt, with khaki pants and brown dress shoes. His orange hair was spiked up just as she had seen it before, though she guessed he couldn't get it to lie down if he tried. She watched as he paced back and forth with a slight scowl on his face as though he was in deep thought. As she pondered what he could be thinking about to bring such a look to his face, Ichigo suddenly stopped and looked towards her. Rukia jumped slightly at the intense look in his eyes before making her way over to him.

Ichigo took in Rukia's appearance as she made her way over to him. Every hair on her raven head was in place, with light makeup on her face that accented her eyes and made them look larger than they already were. Her dress came to just above her knees and was violet in color with splashes of yellow on it that made her look like she had been painting. She wore dainty yellow shoes on her feet to complete her outfit. Realization hit him that Rangiku must have known what Rukia was wearing since she told him to wear the shirt he had on and thus they now matched…how sappy.

Rukia stopped a couple of feet from Ichigo and bowed before holding out her hand. Ichigo returned the bow and shook her had as she spoke, _"I think a proper introduction is in order. Hello, my name is Rukia Kuchiki. It's nice to meet you officially."_ Ichigo returned the gesture, _"Hello, my name is Ichigo Kurosaki. It's also nice to officially meet you. Are you ready to go?"_

"Yes, I am", replied Rukia. Ichigo held out his arm for Rukia to take and she was again surprised at his actions. He didn't come across as a person with such manners, but then again Rukia didn't know much about him and was just going from her assumption of him based on his appearance from one meeting.

Taking his arm, Ichigo led them to a nearby park. They walked down a cobblestone path passing sakura trees in bloom and under weeping willows whose branches hung over the trail. They stopped for a moment at a stone bridge that crossed over a small stream leading to the lake just ahead. Beautiful wildflowers of every color sat along the ground in the dimming light and the couple watched the sun begin to set on the water, the sky painted in crimson, ochre, amber, fuchsia, and azure. Rukia gasped at the beauty of it all and quickly pulled her camera out of her purse and took a quick snapshot. She glanced over at Ichigo and noticed that in the dimming light his hair appeared to be on fire. Rukia took a picture of Ichigo leaning on the railing of the bridge with a serene look on his face, like he had spent many evenings in that exact spot watching the sun set. Suddenly, Rukia heard Ichigo murmur:

_"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?  
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:  
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,  
And summer's lease hath all too short a date . . . ."_

Putting her camera away, Rukia took a step towards Ichigo and he jumped slightly, coming out of his trance. He looked down at Rukia and offered his arm again. She gladly took it, appreciating the quiet moment he had shared with her.

After leaving the park, they walked along the street towards a small bistro that Rukia recognized. She had heard that the food was excellent, but had never been in the neighborhood to stop and try it out. They were seated shortly and gave their orders. Rukia ate rice dumplings with cucumber and eggs while Ichigo ate karashi mentaiko. _"Whose work were you reciting earlier at the bridge"_, came the quiet question from Rukia. _"Oh, I didn't realize that I said that out loud. It's a sonnet written by Shakespeare. I'm a theatre and martial arts major at KU and I specialize in Shakespeare."_

_"That's quite a combination. I'm an arts and ancient literature major. I thought that sonnet sounded familiar. This is my last year at KJC and I will be a freshman at KU in the fall"_, Rukia informed Ichigo. _"Oh, that explains the camera you had earlier. That is a great place for photography. Each season has its own special look"_, replied Ichigo. They continued chatting for a bit while they finished up their meals. Afterward, they headed to the patio for a few drinks before they noticed some of their friends walking by. Gin and Rangiku, Uryu and Orihime, Toshiro and Momo, Renji and Tatsuki, Chad, Mizuiro and Keigo stopped when they noticed Ichigo and Rukia sitting at a table on the patio of the bistro. Rangiku ran up to the railing, dragging Gin along behind her. _"Hey, you guys should come with us to the new club down the street. It's opening night so the cover charge is half off."_

Normally, the first response from both of them would have been _no_, but after a few drinks they both decided that going to the club wouldn't be a bad idea, especially since there was no school the next day. Ichigo paid their tab and again offered his arm to Rukia. All the girls awed at them and they both blushed. They decided to run by their apartments and change before heading out. Now Rukia was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with slits in the arms with cut off jean shorts and low heels. Ichigo was sporting a long-sleeved white shirt with a black vest and worn jeans with sneakers.

By now it was nearing 10pm and both Ichigo and Rukia were feeling the effects of the alcohol they had consumed earlier. Everyone paid to get into the new club Kabuki, which was a club themed after the classical Japanese dance. The club was filled with lavish decorations including kabuki masks and the staff was dressed in kabuki style uniforms. The group got a table and ordered drinks while everyone talked and got better acquainted. With the noise being so loud, everyone was yelling to be heard. As soon as the next song started up however, the girls got quiet before jumping up and dragging their men to the dance floor. Rukia had been sitting at the table talking to her friends while Ichigo went to get them another drink. Rukia realized that she had missed things like this. She noticed him across the room and once again something came over her as she stood and made her way towards him to let him know that she missed him.

* * *

So that is the end of the first chapter. I decided to make this a short chapter story using songs as the main 'theme' for each chapter. They are both a little out of character, since they met under these circumstances and aren't used to each other the next chapter, Rukia is going to get bold. Will Ichigo rise to the challenge or will her forwardness run him off? Please review! It motivates me to get the next chapter done.

Sandō – the approach to the shrine

Tōrō – decorative stone lanterns

Samusho – the shrine's administrative office

Ema – wooden plaques bearing prayers or wishes

Honden – sanctuary, where the _kami_ is enshrined

Haiden – hall of worship

Sessha – miniature shrines

**ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: **August 18, 2012

**WORDS: **3247


End file.
